Tankers and Modelers!!!
Another small tank from MENG's Toon Tanks series, just for relax and fun. This time, we’ll meet the Sherman IC Firefly version.
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| Meng Sherman Firefly (#WWT-008) box art |
But let's start having fun ... The kit is of the snap-kit type, but as I am a traditional, orthodox and old guy, we will weld everything with glue ...
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| Welding the chassis bathtub with glue... Notice the hedgerow cutter in the 3 parts transmission cover... |
It is unusual to see a hedgerow cutter in a Firefly ... Why did Meng choose this device to put in this model ?? But let's keep this in our little tank...
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| Chassis - right side... |
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| Improving the kit: sanding and gluing the chassis. It's a Toon-type kit, with no need to be faithful to the real vehicle, but taking care of the details costs nothing |
And following this type of thinking (to improve the kit just a little ...), we will replace the bogies, drive sprocket, idler whell and tracks by spare parts from old kits, which do not meet the standards of the so-called "normal kits" but they are more than good for these toon-tanks. I had a set of bogies from an old M4A1 Italeri with some construction problems (I love buying scraps to do my model crazy things ...) and the time has come to use these "cripped" bogies has finally arrived...
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| Gems from my spare parts box: Academy drive-sprockets and Italeri's bogies and idler wheels... Notice the problem with one of the bogies!! |
After observing the hedge row, something really rare (never seen a picture of a Firefly with this device ...) be placed as representative in a kit "caricature type", which is the concept of these tanks, I began to study the parties involved in this kit and I started to get a little disappointed, unlike the other Meng TOON tanks I know.
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| I'm not a rivet counter, but... |
If we think about the definition of caricatures, we will remember that they are deformed representations, but that show easily recognizable characteristics of their original models. When observing a good caricature, although the images are unreal and deformed, they must show remarkable characteristics of what the caricature is representing, being easily recognized the thing or person being represented. This is what defines a GOOD caricature. See the example below: you immediately recognize the characters represented ...
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| Example of a great caricature. Who are these 3 guys ?? |
But when I began to see and observe the most important parts of this kit, I didn't REALLY see anything from Firefly there ... Starting by the main gun:
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| Kit's main gun. Notice the muzzle brake: WTF!!! |
The kit's gun shows a muzzle brake that doesn’t resemble a 17-pound with the typical rounded muzzle brake, with two holes...
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| Sherman Firefly and his mighty 17 pdr. gun. Notice the rounded muzzle brake, with two side holes |
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| What gun is that ?? And the kids of kindergarten answers: a 17 pound !!! And which tank used this weapon? Everyone answers: Firefly !!! |
Do you realize my disappointment ?? The biggest feature of a Firefly was simply not reproduced in its caricature !!! And I think this is not being a "rivet counter". I know that the little tank is a caricature, but a caricature of a FIREFLY !! It's written on the lid of the box: Sherman Firefly !! But where is she ??
I know there was an angled mouth brake for the 17 pounds guns, but this rare version of muzzle brake was only rarely seen in towed versions.
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| 17 pdr. AT gun - towed version Notice the angled muzzle brake |
When we talk about a 17 pound gun, the image of a rounded muzzle brake immediately comes to mind (just as we remember a round muzzle brake on the 75mm gun, typical of a Panzer IV Ausf F2)
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| The typical rounded muzzle brake of F2 version of Panzer IV. |
The gun problem will be solved with a little scratch action!!!
Now let's look at Meng's Firefly-toon turret: Notice a comparison with the M4A1 turret, also toon, from the same Meng... When you look at the M4A1 turret, you remember the real Sherman ... But when you see Firefly's angled base turret, nothing really comes to my mind mind ... A lot of tanks used turrets with this characteristic ... You see what I say: another characteristic of a good caricature is lost ... Not the case with bogies, for example: although I am using bogies " standards ", Meng's cartoons are totally acceptable ... refer to the original ...
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| The Firefly-toon turret side by side with M4A1-toon turret.. I prefer the M4A1 shape... let's do a little surgery... |
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Front view: notice the upper border of mantlets and the front portion aspect:
Why didn't they use the same design as the M4A1,
since the turrets were practically the same?
Let's try to transform all that ...
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| Rounded the borders and filling the gaps... |
Of course, I will not reproduce a "real" Sherman IC Firefly, but observing its most striking features will make my caricature a little more "recognizable". A good profile is always a great help...
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| Rounded the Firefly turret.. The mantlet is under surgery... |
In the meantime, we are taking care of the chassis: The entire suspension has been replaced (Meng's is perfectly "recognizable" as being Sherman type ...) just to increase the detail ... You see: one thing is to detail, another is to add features recognizable !!!
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| Chassis with suspension: left side. Notice the awful Tamiya's Lee tracks... Horrible for standard kits, but excellent for toon tanks... |
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| Right side. Notice the bogie fixed in his assemble (green arrows) |
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| Testing the "new" turret in the hull. Notice the "new" mantlet... All "wrong" holes filled... |
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| Turret and hull - left side |
Now, it's time to build Firefly's biggest feature: its mighty 17 pdr. gun. I used the muzzle brake and the collar in metal, from RB Models and as barrel, a 75mm plastic gun from the M4 Tamiya. I just wore the tip of the Tamiya gun to fit the collar and the rounded muzzle brake... Voilááá
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| Notice the armament in place: Main gun and coaxial MG gun Notice the groove carved in the aft of the hull (blue arrows), to delimit the rear deck from the rear stowage box, typical of the British Shermans VC Fireflies ... |
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| And now I ask? What tank is that ?? And the kids of kindergarten answers: a Firefly !!! |
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| The turret and the gun with what I consider the biggest features of Firefly... |
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| Adding metal and plastic details... left side |
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| Rigth side of metal work |
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| Firefly turret ... Hmmm the lenght of the coaxial MG is bothering me... |
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| Adding Sherman characteristics, in that concept of caricature referring to reality. Lifting hooks, tow hooks and extra-armour plates |
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| Notice fuel caps (orange arrows) , transmission cover screws (green), tow (blue) and lifting hooks (red) |
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| Notice the extra armour plates and fuel caps in plastic (red). The lifting hooks (orange) have been repositioned to remember the originals |
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| Rear view. The lifting hooks have been repositioned to remember the originals |
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| Trying to reproduce characteristics of the original vehicles in this nice caricature |
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| I kept the hedgerow cutter. I've never seen it in a Firefly, but that doesn't mean it didn't exist. When it comes to WWII, NEVER SAY EVER !! Notice the gun travel lock... |
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| Rear view with details (tools) |
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| The Sherman IC Firefly toon tank!! Sooo Kawai!!! |
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| Left side |
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| The big .30 Browning...Hmmmmm.. Notice the cut of .30 in the bow hull... Meng... please!!! |
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| Much better!! Chuck approves!!! |
And Kojak was so cheered out about the result of this little girl that he decided to put a little bit of historical research into the play ... My Toon-Girl will be Polish !!!
The decals are from my spare parts box and the Meng's kit...
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| Olive-drab with British green in shades & tones... |
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| Front view. ..Can you believe this little girl weighs 33 tons ?? 1st Polish Armored Division!! |
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| Rear view... |
And the little gal ready for action: this is my Toon-tank Sherman Firefly IC, proudly displaying the markings and colors from 1st Polish Armored Division, 24th Uhlan Regiment, 3rd Squadron, Normandy, France, in 8 August, 1944.
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| Toon-tank Sherman Firefly IC - 1st Polish Armored Division 24th Uhlan Regiment, 3rd Squadron, Normandy, France, in 8 August, 1944. |
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| My Firefly with fresh grass in his teeth... |
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| Toon-tank Sherman Firefly IC - left side view |
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| Toon-tank Sherman Firefly IC - right side view |
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| Toon-tank Sherman Firefly IC - notice the clean rear deck... |
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| Toon-tank Sherman Firefly IC - EYES RIGHT!!! |
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| Toon-tank Sherman Firefly IC - EYES LEFT!!! |
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| Toon-tank Sherman Firefly IC - EYES FRONT!!! |
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| Toon-tank Sherman Firefly IC and Kojak. Rover is waiting a snack... |
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| Toon-tank Sherman Firefly IC - Kojak is very pleased!!! |
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| Two sisters with 17 pdr. guns: Sherman IC Firefly Tulip - hybrid hull and Toon-tank Sherman IC Firefly |
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| Sherman IC Firefly Tulip - hybrid hull and Toon-tank Sherman IC Firefly |
Definitely, I think it was worth changing the gun and other details so that this little Chibi-tank was recognized as a Firefly. Once again, I know that Meng's goal is to make toy-type tanks, but by putting names from the real vehicles, they should be more easily recognized. The other Meng-toons generally follow this concept, but the Firefly-toon "standard" was miles away from that (IMHO).
I think that with these modifications, she became more fashion and "worthy" of being a caricature of so brave tank: Sherman Firefly, the killer of Tigers !!!
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| Toon-tank Sherman Firefly IC - 1st Polish Armored Division 24th Uhlan Regiment, 3rd Squadron, Normandy, France, in 8 August, 1944. |
See you soon, fellas!!
Excellent adaptation of the undercarriage and the details of the dome, mantelete and fire-extinguishing brake. very good cartoon. by the way, well the caricature of the big three against facists: Josif, Delano and Winston. Congratulations
ResponderExcluirThanks a lot, Fan_mx!! You always are welcome in our Bunker!! Hugs!!
Excluir